Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest; Utah; Uinta Express Pipeline Project, 4657-4659 [2014-01692]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4657-4659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01692]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest; Utah; Uinta Express Pipeline 
Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: Uinta Express Pipeline Company LLC, a subsidiary of Tesoro 
Refining & Marketing Company LLC, has submitted a special use 
application requesting authorization to construct and maintain a crude 
oil pipeline from the Uinta Basin to Salt Lake City, Utah. The project 
is known as the Uinta Express Pipeline (``Project''). The Uinta-
Wasatch-Cache National Forest (UWCNF) is responding to the application 
to determine if a special use authorization should be granted, what 
terms and conditions such an authorization should contain, and evaluate 
if any project specific land use plan amendments may be required. The 
objective of Project proponents is to transport crude oil from the 
Uinta Basin and transport it via pipeline rather than trucks for 
refining in Salt Lake City. The pipeline and its alternatives are 
comprised of approximately 120 to 135 miles of underground 12-inch 
pipeline and ancillary facilities.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by 45 days from date of publication in the Salt Lake Tribune (Newspaper 
of Record). The draft environmental impact statement is expected in 
winter of 2014 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
spring of 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Forest 
Supervisor's Office, Attn: Nelson Gonzalez-Sullow, 857 West South 
Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, UT 84095-8594. Comments may also be sent 
via email to uwc_info@fs.fed.us or via facsimile to (801) 253-8118.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Lucas, Recreation and Lands 
Staff Officer by phone at (801) 999-2157 or by email at 
lclucas@fs.fed.us.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The UWCNF is intending to develop an Environmental Impact Statement 
in response to the applicants request for a special use authorization.
    The objective of the project applicant is to seek permission from 
the UWCNF to transport crude oil from the Uinta Basin via pipeline 
rather than trucks for refining in Salt Lake City. The pipeline is 
comprised of approximately 135 miles of underground 12-inch pipeline 
and ancillary facilities. Approximately 14 miles are proposed to cross 
NFS land administered by the UWCNF.
    The construction of this project is desired to provide a safer and 
more efficient transportation route for crude oil produced in the Uinta 
Basin of Utah.
    Production of crude oil within Duchesne County, Utah has increased 
from 8.7 Million Barrels (MM BBL) in 2008 to 11.9 MM BBL in 2011. 
Production in 2012 was nearly 14 MM BBL, and 2013 is on pace for 18 MM 
BBL. This represents a 54% increase over the last five years. New 
drilling technology continues to improve the ability for economical 
extraction of Uinta Basin crude. The majority of this production is 
currently transported via tanker truck to Salt Lake City.
    The oil produced from the Uinta Basin is paraffinic crude that is 
not compatible with the current pipeline infrastructure in Utah. The 
product must be maintained at an elevated temperature in order to flow 
through a pipeline. Other pipelines in the area were not designed to 
maintain the temperatures that Uinta crude requires. Therefore, the 
Uinta crude is currently loaded into trucks and transported via road to 
refineries. The unique composition of the Uinta crude also hinders its 
transportation to markets outside of the Salt Lake metropolitan area.
    Several refineries in the Salt Lake metropolitan area have 
announced planned upgrades to increase the capacity to process crude 
produced in Utah, including the Uinta Basin.\1\ These planned upgrades 
will take advantage of the relatively lower price of locally produced 
crude. The project provides infrastructure to deliver typically lower 
priced, locally produced crude oil to market in an environmentally 
responsible and safe manner.
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    \1\ Salt Lake Tribune, 6/1/2012; https://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/54044681-79/utah-refinery-oil-crude.html.csp; Accessed 8/21/
2012.
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    The planned increases in production and refining capacities have 
state lawmakers and transportation officials concerned about the 
capacity and capability of the existing highway infrastructure.\2\ The 
construction of the

[[Page 4658]]

project considers pipeline transmission as more viable long-term method 
of delivery to the Salt Lake metropolitan area. In addition, the 
project considers it a benefit to the public by removing a portion of 
the tanker truck traffic from the highways in the region thereby 
potentially reducing the cost of highway maintenance and upgrades.
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    \2\ Salt Lake Tribune, 8/15/2012; https://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/54703446-79/uinta-crude-transportation-basin.html.csp; 
Accessed 8/21/2012.
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Proposed Action

    Five principal facilities will be located along the project, one 
origin station and four intermediate stations. The origin station will 
consist of truck offloading racks, product storage, pumps, launcher/
receivers, piping, valves, fittings, and power generation. This 
origination facility would be located on private property and would be 
approximately 20 acres. The four intermediate stations for the project 
are approximately five acres each and located on private property. 
There are seven main line block valves locations and other minor above 
ground appurtenances that also will be located on private property.
    The project would be constructed primarily on private lands and 
cross approximately 14 miles of NFS land administered by the UWCNF, 
U.S. Forest Service (FS). The proposed pipeline right-of-way would be a 
minimum of 50-feet wide and up to 100-feet wide on National Forest 
System lands once constructed (right-of-way may be wider off of NFS 
lands). Many areas of the proposed pipeline route would utilize 
existing pipeline right-of-way routes or utility corridors and parallel 
Chevron, Questar and Kern River pipelines. The pipeline is further 
described as 12'' carbon steel pipe, .375 WT, API 5L, X52, insulated 
(HDPE) jacketed, externally coated, and buried at a minimum depth of 
three feet. System pressure designs are currently projected to be 
between 1,200 and 1,400 psi maximum operating pressure (MOP).

Possible Alternatives

    A route review and investigation was conducted that identified 
three options:

 Northern Route (Proposed Action)
 East Canyon Route
 Southern Route

    The northern route is generally a 135 mile option that parallels 
portions of the existing Chevron crude pipeline for the first 40 miles 
from the origin point to Francis, UT. From Francis, the pipeline bears 
north to Coalville, UT in many areas paralleling existing Questar 
distribution pipelines. At Coalville it meets with the Kern River 
natural gas pipeline. The pipeline would then parallel the Kern River 
pipeline to about the top of the Wasatch Range. From here the route 
would roughly parallel a Questar natural gas pipeline west to the town 
of Bountiful, UT, and on to the east side of Utah Highway 67. The 
pipeline would then bear south connecting to multiple Salt Lake area 
refineries.
    The east canyon route is generally a 135-mile option that follows 
the northern route for the first 90 miles, then bears west to the Park 
City area. From Park City, the pipeline would parallel East Canyon 
Creek to join with the Kern River pipeline. The pipeline would then 
parallel the Kern River pipeline to about the top of the Wasatch Range. 
From here the route would roughly parallel a Questar natural gas 
pipeline west to the town of Bountiful, UT, and on to the east side of 
Utah Highway 67. The pipeline would then bear south connecting to 
multiple Salt Lake area refineries.
    The southern route is generally a 120-mile option that follows the 
northern route for the first 90 miles and then roughly parallels the 
existing Chevron crude oil pipeline into and through Salt Lake City 
connecting to multiple Salt Lake area refineries.
    The northern route was identified as the proposed action, based 
principally on permitting and ``Right of Way'' (ROW) acquisition, 
minimizing areas of disturbance, and utilizing previously established 
utility corridors, despite being the longest route of the proposed 
options.
    Under all alternatives, approximately 14 miles are on NFS land and 
the remainder on private lands. The segments crossing NFS land follow 
forest plan (both Uinta and Wasatch-Cache Forest Plans were revised in 
2003) designated utility corridors. The right-of-way would be a minimum 
of 50-feet wide and up to 100-feet wide on NFS land once constructed 
(right-of-way may be wider off of NFS land). Many reaches of the 
pipeline route would utilize existing pipeline routes or utility 
corridors and parallel Chevron, Questar and Kern River pipelines right-
of-way. These existing corridors form portions of the boundaries of 4 
Inventoried Roadless Area (IRAs). Under all alternatives, the project 
would be located outside of the IRAs on the opposite (non-roadless) 
side of the existing pipeline, except at one point where two of these 
IRAs come together and encroachment into an IRA cannot be avoided. At 
this point, the project must cross the tip of the 8,810 acre Nobletts 
IRAs. Routing around the IRAs is not feasible. No roads will be 
constructed in IRAs, but a small amount of incidental tree clearing 
(<1.0 acre) will be required at this point.

Responsible Official

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether or not to approve grantng a 
special use authorization for the construction and maintenance of the 
Uinta Express Pipeline.

Preliminary Issues

    Preliminary issues are the effects of the project on transportation 
safety, air quality, visual resources, surface and groundwater quality, 
noise levels, land use (including roadless area impact), vegetation and 
wildlife.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the 45-day scoping process, which 
guides the development of the environmental impact statement.
    Two open house meetings will be held--one in Bountiful City and 
another in Heber City--to provide stakeholders and the general public 
with information about the proposed project and to provide a forum for 
submitting comments.

 Wednesday, February 19, 2014; 6-8 p.m., Wasatch High School, 
Heber City, UT
 Thursday, February 20, 2014; 6-8 p.m., Bountiful High School, 
Bountiful, UT

    Written comments will be accepted throughout the 45-day period. 
Comments can be hand delivered from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Electronic comments must be 
submitted in a format such as an email message, rich text format (.rtf) 
or Word (.doc) to uwc_info@fs.fed.us, by facsimile to (801) 253-8118, 
or to: Nelson Gonzalez-Sullow, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest 
Supervisor's Office, 857 West South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, UT 
84095-8594.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of 
the environmental impact statement; therefore, comments should be 
provided prior to the close of the 45-day scoping period and should 
clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions. The scoping 
period begins when the Legal Notice is published in The Salt Lake 
Tribune.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will

[[Page 4659]]

be part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments 
submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered, however.

    Dated: January 21, 2014.
David C. Whittekiend,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-01692 Filed 1-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P